


Apocalypse Part 2 Electric Boogaloo

by Dread



Category: Tattered Weave
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-12-16 04:37:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11821383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dread/pseuds/Dread
Summary: Lycus just wants to do the science- but then something goes wrong, very wrong...





	Apocalypse Part 2 Electric Boogaloo

Lycus stared in horror through the scrying glass as the tatters collapsed on the EF- everyone was evacuated to Hope (transplanting Alban's and Lenta's trees was quite the group effort) but their home, the heart of the forest, it was gone. “I-Its all my fault...if I hadn't...my experiments they...caused this...” He glances around the room, his lab, his sanctuary, but what once had brought him joy now filled his mouth with bile. The notes, his notes, strewn across the lab bench, lay open in a mockery of the study he held so dear- if the pursuit of science could cause such devastation, then was he even better than the Unmaker of the past? Curling in a ball, clutching his beloved Dr. Stuffy, Lycus wept.

\---

The holes had occurred gradually, so slowly that few had noticed. But Cela, Cela knew. As soon as that boy had fallen into her home, she felt the slightest of tremors in the magic of her father, that had protected her and her home all her life. But these people of Hope were kind, and knew of things she did not. Skyler in particular had embraced these new-found friends, and how was it fair of her to deny this because things might have been shaken a bit. “If I just added a bit of extra magic,” she thought, “then there is nothing to worry about.” So Cela strengthened it, and tried not to worry.

Othidar was the first to bring up the blight when she came to visit for her weekly meal. “Hrmph, these new kith just love to run around my store- but I can’t afford for them to destroy much more of my herb stock, the ones I’m growing are not doing well.” 

“Not doing well you say, but they were fine the other day?”

“Aye they were, but something is…. well, I’ll just show you.” Leading her to his small greenhouse, Othidar brought Cela over to his collection of thyme, but something was indeed wrong. The tips of the leaves were blackened, and looked as if they had been pulled apart from the inside, strands of plant matter acting like torn seams, barely holding the leaves together. “I’m not sure what this is- I’ve isolated this batch, but I’m worried it will spread.” 

“Yes, I see dear friend, so would you let me lend, a sample here for not too long, to our friend Lenta to see what’s wrong?”

“I was planning on burning the lot later anyways, so feel free to take what you need princess. And hopefully next dinner will be a bit more pleasant.”

“It’s always pleasant here, with the company I hold so dear.” Cela smiled, but lines of worry could not escape Othidar’s watchful gaze.

But the herbs were just the start. While Lenta set to studying the blackened thyme, more plants were discovered with the same affliction. Grasses, ferns, herbs…and then a tree. When Cela saw the fallen ash, its roots shriveled and branches shredded, she realized something was deadly wrong. The heart of the forest itself was sick, and the Withering had returned.

The next few weeks were filled with meetings and consuls, a flurry and rush to try to figure out what could be done. Lenta had been desperately searching for some sort of solution, but to no avail. And more and more trees on the edge of the forest were found fallen each day. Othidar had taken to staying in the castle to help, especially now that most of his herbs had succumb to the Withering. 

“Princess, I think it might be time…we need to ask Hope for help. The boy who found us, uh, Lycus I believe, he could work with Lenta and maybe come up with…” 

Cela interrupted, “Tis they who caused this blight here, we must fix ourselves what we hold dear.” She glared at him- she knew he meant well, but what good would the bringer of this blight do? How could he fix it when the most brilliant dryad in a hundred years was stumped?

And then a dryad was taken.

A young one, newly aware of the world, they were found by their tree, bark frayed and eyes empty. 

“Cela,” Othidar put his hand on her shoulder. “It is time we told them, told our friends in Hope. We need their help.”

Cela’s eyes glistened, both with sadness for the dryad husk before her, and for the knowledge that her reluctance to accept the help of Hope might have doomed them to this fate. “Of course, uncle, you are right, I should have listened. Let me contact their headmaster right away.”

\---

The visiting avoreal rushed into Nic’s office, feathers rustling in a sort of nervous agitation Nic hadn’t seen before. “What is it my dear? Is there something you need for the store?”

“N..no I…there is a message from Princess Celariel…here” Skyler stuck out what looked like a type of mirror, but on the other side Nic recognized what only could be the Princess his son had described so vividly to him.

“Headmaster can you hear me there, am I coming in loud and clear?” The sound emanated from the mirror in his hand, a bit faint perhaps, but he could understand her majesty. 

“Yes I can Your Majesty, what can I do you for my dear?”

“A blight has afflicted us, and though I do not wish to cause a fuss, I need to ask for your aid, before we begin to fade, would Lycus be willing to help our lot, before the forest is laid to rot?” 

“Oh Dear Princess, of course we will do everything to help! Let me take you to Lycus’ lab and see what kind of ideas he might have.”

\----  
The princess had called on him for help, Lycus couldn’t believe it! But this thing she told him about, this withering…botany was not his strong suit, but it was a puzzle to solve, and Lycus was excited to visit the EF again, if only temporarily. Plus, it wasn’t every day you got to work with a talking tree! Even if their communication wasn’t always straightforward.

Lycus mused, “What if we…hmm I need to figure out the chemical makeup difference between a healthy plant and a diseased one…I wonder if I added a bit of solution to this…” 

“Uhhh Lycus I can presume you know what you are doing?” Lenta looked on worryingly as Lycus added yet another drop of solution to the vial.

“W-well I-I need to understand how this disease works” Lycus was still a bit overwhelmed talking with a tree. 

“But you are endangering that piece of sapling there- we are supposed to help them, not cause more harm.”

“O-oh I do apologize is…is this uhhhhh…” 

“You do not have to worry about familial relationships, Lycus- that sapling and I are no more related than you and a rabbit.”

Lycus wiped his brow in relief. “Oh g-good I d-didn’t mean to offend I just…in order to understand what is happening, I need to understand how the disease works, how it spreads- if we can figure that out, then we can stop it, we can cure it.”

“Understood, seems like a logical proposition. Let me see if I can derive any magical properties related to this that might aid in this research.” Lenta turned to their bench, a different set of vials laid out before them. The two crouched at their separate workbenches, brows furrowed in concentration as they scribbled away their thoughts and hypotheses within their respective notebooks.

\---

Lenta and Lycus had been working together for weeks, but a solution still had not been found- those who had been living closer to the edges of the forest were moved to the center. The castle was filled to the brim with misplaced residents. The residents of Hope had opened their doors as well, and some of the more fearful EF residents were already moving there to escape the Withering. Even Alban and Lenta’s trees were being prepped for possible transplant…their home was unraveling around them.

\---  
Lycus was frustrated, and he could tell his lab partner was too, though for them a cloud of fear and worry was layered as well. He knew if they didn’t come up with a solution soon, they would run out of time to save everyone. And something, something was troubling him. This disease, this ….withering, why did it start now? Why did it start only after the two worlds had found each other…

\---

All dryad trees had been moved- Lenta and Alban remained over in Hope, tending to their trees while work was still done to try to find a solution. But the situation was dire- a great circle of dead and dying trees surrounded them, and Cela knew there wasn’t much longer. 

The noise began at midday, a great cracking that startled Cela from her daze. Screams from outside of told her all she needed to know- with the authority that had been gifted to her and what magic she had, she yelled those who remained- “Everyone you must now come, it’s time to leave where you are from; our friends in Hope will see us through, for now that is all we can do.” She rushed everyone to a portal that had been set up in the main hall just for this purpose- few had remained, but enough where she did worry if she would be able to get everyone across the barrier- but then she heard them.

Screeching and cawing filled the skies behind her, and drowning out the thunder the last remaining flock of avoreals took to the skies to perform their sacred duty. She knew that this was their last stand.

Cela’s eyes welled up in tears. “Do as you must my dear friends, and may you be blessed until the end.” The last thing Cela saw before grabbing a scrying mirror and escaping through the portal was a cluster of avoreals clawing, tearing, desperately trying to hold the tatters back.

\---

The courtyard was filled, but not with the usual jubilation at the end of a school day. A great shade had been pulled over one side to protect Alban and Lenta from the newly intense sun, but both were distracted with worry as they tended to their trees- the grief would come later. The students had gathered to give support where they could- even Dizzy, normally the epitome of cheerful, was snuggled in a corner with Skyler, both quietly sobbing. Othidar had his arms wrapped around Cela, who was staring into the scrying device. And as the tatters fell, engulfing the forest in darkness, Othidar watched as Cela’s once vibrant hair faded to a hue much like his own. 

\---

She saw him first- many of the students and residents had left the courtyard to settle into their rooms and grieve by themselves, so she was quick to notice the figure emerge from the back corner. Breaking from Othidar’s embrace, she rushed towards him in a fury.

“YOU,” she yelled “YOU’RE THE ONE WHO DOOMED US ALL, YOU’RE THE ONE WHO CAUSED THE FALL!” 

Lycus shrank against the wall of the school, stammering, trying to say something but she was not finished.

“NO YOU COWARD, DO NOT SHRINK, IF FOR ONCE YOU THINK, THAT I’LL LET YOU ESCAPE THIS NOW, THEN HEAR THIS THAT I NOW DO VOW; FROM THIS DAY UNTIL THE END, I’LL NO LONGER CALL YOU FRIEND, YOU WHO DOOMED US TO THIS FATE, YOU ARE EVERYTHING THAT I HATE.” Panting, Cela glared at the figure before her, but his eyes were down, concealed beneath his disheveled hair.

Cela turned to return to where Othidar waited, but a faint sound made her turn back.

“You’re right to hate me,” Lycus murmured. “The hole I created….I d-didn’t think…I-I just wanted t-to make my mark…”

“Making your mark doomed my home, and now my subjects are forced to roam.”

“I-I’m sorry…I can’t…I tried really I did I-I tried to find a way to fix it….but I failed.” His eyes were tinged red from crying earlier, but a dry sob clutched in Lycus’ throat.

Tears blurred Cela’s eyes, but they were not tears of grief anymore- they were only tears of anger. “I will not feel sorry for you, you who...you bastard.” The curse stung on her tongue, but looking at the crumpled heap of a figure before her, she knew that nothing else she could say would make her feel any better- it was time to leave.  
\---  
Lycus stayed in that corner until almost everyone had left the courtyard- Piper had pleaded with him to come home, but he wasn’t ready. He had something he must do.

When everyone had left save Lenta and Alban, Lycus turned back towards the one place he had always felt safe, but now was more like a prison. Once again entering his lab, he was suddenly filled with an emotion he had not felt in a long while- anger. 

“ARRGGGH!!” Lycus grabbed the notes strewn across the lab table and threw them to the floor. Grabbing a beaker, he hurled it at the back wall, green liquid splattering onto the surrounding cabinets, adding a sickly hue to the already stained surface. 

Panting, Lycus examined the mess he made. Lab safety be damned, it didn’t matter anymore. He didn’t want this, he didn’t want any of this to happen. He was done. 

With a pained sigh, Lycus grabbed neutralizing powder and a broom and dustpan to clean up the mess he made. Gathering the glass, powder and the notes he had thrown around the room, Lycus left to go to the basement furnace. 

Lycus tossed to waste into the fire. The fire engulfed the trash, threads of multicolor flames dancing throughout due to the reactions with the chemicals used. Lycus stared, but not in his usual scientific wonder- his hopes, his dreams, they were done. No more would he risk what he had done- this was the end. And the flames shifted, the colors rotating between a rainbow of hues, a brilliant light in the encroaching darkness.


End file.
